Motorhead’s Mikkey Dee: The Way Lemmy Kilmister is Being Remembered is ‘Bigger Than Elvis’

Has it really been two years since the death of Lemmy Kilmister? It’s been a tough time for Motorhead fans, but longtime drummer Mikkey Dee is blown away by all the love for Lemmy. In a new interview Dee discusses the fans’ dedication to remembering Lemmy, which the drummer calls “bigger than Elvis.”

Kilmister’s death on Dec. 28, 2015, marked the end of an iconic career five decades long. Having already gained recognition with space rockers Hawkwind, Lemmy pioneered a fresh style of speed freak rock and roll with Motorhead. Having inspired a generation of rock and metal bands, it’s no surprise the outpouring of love for Lemmy has continued to this day.

“I already know that he's being remembered in a proper way, because, you know, when he passed, it's been bigger than Elvis [Presley],” Mikkey Dee tells Goldmine. “He would be very surprised and honored if he knew. He might know, if he was peeking down to see what's going on. I mean, if you saw what just happened at the Wacken festival, for instance, with a hundred thousand fans raising their hands while they played the new video, for [a cover of David Bowie's] 'Heroes'. That was the release of that song, kind of, and it was just incredible. They're naming streets after Lemmy; they're naming all kinds of parks and stages."

Dee adds about Lemmy’s legacy, “He’s being remembered in a million different ways. He was a poet, you know; he was so good with words. That’s why Ozzy always called him to work with him, and a lot of other entertainers as well, because he could put words together like no one could, really. He scribbled a lyric down in 15 minutes that people might be struggling for months to put together. He just took a napkin and wrote the best lyrics that you could imagine.”

Now drumming for Scorpions, Mikkey Dee will be back on the road this March. For Scorpions’ full list of tour dates, click here.